


Holding on by a Thread

by orphan_account



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Hurt Damon Salvatore, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:33:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29080161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: major warning for rape. Stefan comforts Damon after he has a panic attack (platonic)
Relationships: Damon Salvatore/Stefan Salvatore
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Holding on by a Thread

Damon Salvatore.

The most arrogant and most unbothered vampire of them all. The one who brushed things off with a joke. The one who doesn't really care what people think of him. 

The one who doesn't give emotional pain much thought, until he does.

When Stefan said he'd go with Klaus he knew that his brother wouldn't be able to live with himself when he comes back from being the ripper. So he gave himself up instead. He wasn't really expecting it to work, but Klaus accepted the deal.

As it turned out, Klaus only wanted him.for his body. Klaus fucked him until Damon was a vulnerable sobbing mess trying not to feel so disgusted with himself. 

After a year, though, Klaus agreed to let him free.

"Damon?" Stefan said happily and ran to his older brother's arms. They both hugged one another just as tight, Stefan not realising how much he truly needed to be comforted.

Everything turned back to normal. Everyone just did their thing and lived their lives. But for Damon that wasn't the case at all. He was actually hanging on by a thread.

He was haunted by the memories, everytime he closed his eyes he'd see Klaus' evil face above him with that stupid smerk as he used Damon over and over again

Damon often couldn't sleep because of them. His face now carries heavy eye bags and a permanent expression of forced indifference as to not show the constant pain. 

It probably would've helped if he were to talk to someone but how could he? Admit that he was weak. [Disclaimer I DO NOT think sexual assault victims are weak this is just what he thinks] That he couldn't fucking fight back. Do something. Not to mention he'd most definitely cry and he hated crying in front of people.

If he were to tell someone he'd tell his younger brother but even then he didn't want to burden with his own problems. He's been selfish with him many times before so he shouldn't make Stefan worry about him again.

But apparently him just not saying anything made people worry more.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" He could hear Elena's voice in the other room from his bedroom talking to the others.

"Maybe he's just tired?" Caroline suggests.

"No, that can't be it. Even if he was tired he wouldn't act this quiet like this. Seems like one of his depression spirals he's had but even worse." Stefan says uncarefully just spilling the beans on his mild depression.

Not that he really kept it a secret but it just wasn't that important, really.

Through the next couple of weeks they keep on discussing through the house like he can't hear until they ask for him to come down real quick. This should be fun.

It wasn't.

There were some standing and sitting but they all looked at him when he entered the room, looking just as disheveled as the last time they'd seen him, maybe even worse. "Look can we just get whatever this is over with." Damon grumbled.

"Damon what's wrong? You know you can tell us anything. Did Klaus do something?" Elena whispers as if she's trying to not scare off a wild animal.

Damon just shakes his head numbly, not really saying no to the question, just saying he can't and won't answer it now. "Fine then. It's obvious that he did something to you. So we're going to lead him here tomorrow and kill him with this." Stefan pulled out a miniature white oak stake that Damon didn't have time to question before his mind was racing.

Him coming here? Where he could hurt me again. Make me feel like even more of a shell of myself. Make me feel used. 

I drew ragged breaths and could hardly get any oxygen to my lungs anymore. I closed my eyes to focus on getting my breathing to normal but was only gifted with the sight of memories haunting me and making me shake even more.

I wheezed as I slid down the wall and pulled my knees to my chest. Nothing else mattered at that moment. I could feel tears on my face but barely even noticed them. I kept mumbling "He can't come back." under my breath over and over again probably making me look like a phycopath.

Of course Damon felt embarrassed, especially with a couple of people he wasn't even that close to seeing him this vulnerable. Kind of like how Klaus saw you everyday. I shiffered at that thought. I can't do this I can't do this I can't do this-

I suddenly hear my brother's voice faintly, as if he was in a different universe. "Can I hug you, Damon?"

Damon gave all that he could at that moment, the tiniest of nods of his head that a human probably couldn't even see.

Damon felt Stefan pull him into the most comforting hug he's ever felt. But it only seemed to make him cry harder fully realising what even wolf boy himself was seeing him as. This was all too much and overwhelming. Everything felt like it would set him off. Like maybe even the wind could make him cry harder. Or maybe that's just because he just can't stop crying and the crying isn't planning on stopping anytime soon. 

He can faintly hear Stefan in the background shushing him comfortingly and rubbing his head trying to sooth him.

It seemed like hours passed when Damon calmed down enough to fall asleep in his younger brother's arms. Everyone either had confused, concerned, or just a thinking face. 

This wasn't something Damom normally did. He didn't normally show people his emotions like this. But then again he's never had a panic attack like this that Stefan knew of before this. Whatever happened to him wasn't good.

Damon woke up with his eyes crusted with the past tears in them dried and squinted when he remembered what happened. He felt his face blossom in a bright red.

He looked over to see Stefan in a chair next to his bed waiting for Damon to wake up. "I'm up, by the way." Damon internally cringed at the way his voice sounded, all scratched up from all the crying.

Stefan shot up almost comically and looked at Damon and instantly got up to his bed. "Is there anything I can get for you? Water? Food? Blood?"

"You know you don't have to do this. The acting like I'm gonna break any second."

"I'm just making sure you don't have another panic attack again."

Damom grumbled but mumbled a "A blood bag would be nice."

Stefan came back and handed him the blood bad and Damon drank all of it in one sitting. "You wanna finally tell me what happened?"

Damon groaned but sat up. He avoided eye contact because as soon as he saw that pity he knew he'd cry. "He- uh- he raped me, Stefan. Multiple times."

The silence was almost so deafening that Damon was about to risk a glance up at Stefan when he spoke. "I am so sorry, Damon. I should've tried harder to find you." His voice wavered a considerable amount.

"It's okay. He's the one who did it, after all."

"I'm gonna kill him!" Stefan ground out, venom in his voice. 

"Steffie, not now, please. I just need comfort for now." Damon gave him puppy dog eyes that Stefan eventually fell for and climbed in the bed to give him a hug to make sure his older brother felt safe.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading. if u liked pls leave comment or kudos,, I stayed up late to finish this :) love you <3


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